A Stendan Christmas Carol
by marble eyes
Summary: A retelling of Charles Dickens novel: A Christmas Carol.


**Just a silly bit of fun really, enjoy!**

Brendan Brady sat in his prison cell staring at one of the walls. He was alone at the moment, after his cell mate had asked to transfer away from him. Stating that Brendan was and quote: 'A nut job'. The cell was completely in darkness, so only a small strip of light came in from under the door. It was silent, peaceful almost. Just the way Brendan liked it.

'What are you doing?' asked a playful voice from across the room.

Brendan jumped back and hit his head hard on the prison wall behind him. 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph!'

A pair of familiar glittering female eyes were looking at him from the bed that had previously been empty seconds before. 'That isn't any way to greet an old friend.' said the familiar voice.

Brendan closed her eyes, hoping that when he opened them that the woman was gone. He knew he had problems, but this was a new low even for him. When he opened his eyes the woman was no longer on the other bed, but right in front of his. Her face was inches away from his.

'Boo.' she whispered.

'Jesus!' shouted Brendan. He tried to push her away, but his hand went straight through her.

'That's not very nice Brendan Brady.' said the woman. She looked suspiciously like Anne, even had the same damn annoying and knowing smirk.

'What did you expect? A cosy greeting and a cup of tea? I'm in here for murder, not crimes against baking. So run along cupcake, leave me in peace.' replied Brendan. 'Go back to what ever part of my mind that has finally lost the plot.'

The woman let out a long sigh and looked down at her nails. 'You're not going mad, you know? I'm here for a reason.'

Brendan rolled his eyes, deciding to humour the figment of his imagination. 'Go on then, impress me.'

'You will be visited three times,' said the woman. 'Three times by different three spirits. We're here to help you, it's time you changed your ways.'

'A bit late for that, isn't it sweetheart?' said Brendan. He had finally lost it, he was seeing things now.

'Three times Brendan, remember that.' said the Anne-like woman.

When Brendan next looked up, she was gone.

**ASCC**

'Brendan.' whispered a voice.

Brendan turned over in his bed, batting away the voice in his sleep.

'Brendan, I'm here to show you the error of your ways.'

'Come back another time.' grumbled Brendan in his sleep.

'There won't be another time.'

Brendan opened his eyes and noticed yet another woman was standing over him. Not just any woman: Lynsey Nolan. He sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes as if he expected her to disappear at any minute.

'Hello Brendan.' said Lynsey softly.

'But you're dead.' stated Brendan.

Lynsey smiled softly. 'Yes I am.'

'Is this some kind of joke?' asked Brendan. 'I'm not laughing.'

'No Brendan, it's not.' said Lynsey, looking almost sad. 'I'm here because I'm dead and you're not. You're wasting you life in here Brendan.'

'I'm protecting Cheryl.' answered Brendan. 'It's not like I'm here by choice.'

Lynsey looked at him, her eyes nearly piercing through him. 'Are you not though? Your sister doesn't seem that happy to me.'

'How do you know about Cheryl?' asked Brendan. Feeling concern for his sister swelling in his chest.

Lynsey rolled her eyes 'Hello? Ghost of Christmas past, I know everything. Now it's time I showed you what you need to see Brendan.'

Lynsey went over to one of the prison walls and drew a circle with a piece of chalk. The circle filled with light and suddenly no longer showed a wall, was an entrance to what looked to be a ward in a hospital.

'Are you coming?' asked Lynsey.

Brendan stood up. 'Looks like it, I've got nothing better to do.' he stepped through the wall and into the ward, immediately feeling relief that he was no longer stuck in his cell. 'Where are we?'

'In the past.' answered Lynsey. She continued walking until she reached a bed in which a man was curled up.

Brendan glanced around, bored with the whole thing already. His attention was immediately caught by the man lying in the bed. His face was covered in cuts and bruises, whilst silent tears rolled down his eyes.

'Steven?' Brendan whispered. He stepped forward and tried to touch him, but his hands went straight through him. 'What's wrong with him? Why's he here?' he asked Lynsey.

'Watch.' said Lynsey quietly.

A blonde nurse stepped forward and smiled sympathetically at Ste. 'Are you sure there's no-one I can call for you love?'

'No.' said Ste, flinching as if talking just caused him pain. 'There's no-one.' more tears slid down his cheeks. He turned away from the nurse, his face filled with misery.

Brendan didn't take his eyes off Ste. 'Who did this to him?'

'Does it matter?' asked Lynsey.

'Yes.' answered Brendan. 'Who did this to him?' he shouted.

Lynsey didn't even flinch. 'After you got sent down, Ste got in with the wrong crowd and started drug dealing again. But he was beaten up because he did something kind for someone else; the person he was working for didn't like it.'

Brendan clenched his fist and plunged it into a table; it went straight through without contact.

'There's nothing you can do.' said Lynsey softly. 'This is the past, it's already happened. Come on, we have more to see.'

'I'm not leaving him.' growled Brendan, staring intently at Ste, as if he was afraid he was going to disappear.

Lynsey clicked her fingers and everyone disappeared from the ward, including Ste. 'He's already gone, this was months ago. The past is like sand, it slips through your fingers before you have a chance to catch it.' a single tear slid down from her eyes.

Brendan stared at the empty bed. 'Why are you doing this?'

'Because life is for the living,' said Lynsey gently. 'Mine was cut short, but you have so much left to give. Come on there's more of the past to see.' she walked up to one of the ward doors and stepped straight through it.

Brendan hesitated for a moment, his fingers brushing straight through the pillow where Steven's head had been minutes previous. He turned and followed Lynsey through the door. As soon as he stepped through Brendan realised that he wasn't in the hospital any more, he was in Steven's flat.

'Why am here?' he asked Lynsey. The familiarity of the place he used to call home with Steven made something inside of him ache painfully.

'Look.' she tilted her head towards a bed that wasn't usually there.

Brendan stepped towards it; he had a bad feeling about this. None of what this woman was showing him was anything good. He finally got to the bed and noticed Ste was on it, curled up around a very ill and pale Pauline Hay. What the hell was going on? He thought the two hated each other?

'It's nearly time.' rasped Pauline, as her son cuddled even closer to her She reached out and shakily picked up a tablet out of Ste's hand. 'I love you son.'

'I love you too.' whispered Ste, placing another tablet in her hand.

'What's going on?' asked Brendan.

'Ste's helping her to die.' said Lynsey, like it was the simplest thing in the world.

'Why would he do that?' asked Brendan, his heart breaking as he watched more tears fall down his former lover's face.

'Because she's ill and you're not around to do it for him.' answered Lynsey.

Brendan reached forward and tried to pull the tablets away from Ste, once again his hands went straight through him. 'You've got to stop this, Steven's not a killer.'

'This has already happened Brendan.' said Lynsey. 'It cannot be changed. He helped to kill his own mother and he went to court over it; he got a suspended sentence, if that helps?'

'It doesn't.' said Brendan darkly, wishing he'd been there for Steven. If only...if only he'd been there. Why was his life forever filled with what ifs?

The scene changed with a loud bang and flat began to shake, as pieces of wall and ceiling began to fall from above. Brendan dived out of the way just in time to avoid a large piece of cement. Screams and the sounds of people moving quickly through the dust made his blood run cold. What had happened here? It seemed his and Steven's home had been destroyed by some type of explosion. He shakily pushed himself up, trying to get rid of the ringing in his ears.

'Steven!' he screamed. He searched through the dust, sensing that Steven was there and in danger. 'Steven!'

'You can't help him.' said Lynsey, completely unchanged and untouched by the fact that a building had just collapsed around her.

'Steven!' shouted Brendan, ignoring her and frantically searching the floor. 'Steven!' it was like that day when he'd rushed to the hospital after the bus crash, desperate to see that his boy was okay. He searched the floor and soon discovered Steven's broken body.

'No! Steven!' he shouted, trying to launch himself forward.

Lynsey grabbed his arm, trying to hold him back. Brendan forcefully brushed her off, rushing forward towards Steven just as a large amount of rubble fell from the roof above. It fell straight onto him and he knew no more.

**ASCC**

When Brendan opened his eyes he was no longer in the rubble of his former home, but back in his prison cell. He let out a long groan, wondering what was causing the weird dreams he was experiencing tonight. He sat up gasping for air, for a moment disorientated and automatically reaching out for Steven. He wasn't there, he never was, and Brendan never expected him to be really.

'Look at these cheek bones.' said a male voice. 'You could cut glass with these things.'

Brendan looked across the room and let out a long groan, it seemed a version of Steven was in his prison cell and haunting him now. Of course it wasn't Steven; Steven wouldn't be admiring himself in the mirror like this thing was doing.

Ghost-Steven let out a long sigh, placing his hands on his own bottom. 'Shame about this ass though, there's nothing there. But I've got to say the rest of him is gorgeous, you pretty much bagged yourself a model here Brendan.'

'What do you want?' asked Brendan rudely. He wasn't in the mood to see this thing inhabiting the beautiful body of his Steven. It made his heart ache with longing. He hadn't seen his boy for nearly nine months, nine months was a long time.

'They warned me you were rude.' said the man, 'Would this help?' he clicked his fingers and the clothes he was wearing disappeared.

Brendan averted his eyes, trying to ignore the fact that this thing was an exact copy of Steven. Even down to the tattoo in a very intimate place. 'Could you put some clothes on?'

The Ste copy rolled his eyes and clicked his fingers again, causing his clothes to return. 'I thought you usually said the opposite to him.'

'You're not him.' said Brendan.

'I could be.' answered the man in a seductive voice.

Brendan looked at the wall, not trying to hide his disgust. 'Not interested.'

'You're no fun.' sighed the Ste-copy. 'I guess we better get on with it then. It's time I showed you the present, are you coming?'

'Do I have to?' asked Brendan.

'This will all go a lot better if I don't have to drag you. Although I worry you might enjoy that a little too much.' said the Ste-copy, winking at Brendan.

The man stepped to the wall and drew a circle with a familiar piece of chalk; the prison cell was once again filled with light. This time it wasn't a hospital ward on the other side, but a different version of Brendan's flat. Brendan stepped towards it slowly, immediately dreading what this being was going to show him. He stepped into his old flat, sneering at some of the new additions that looked tacky and out of place.

'They've changed things a little since you lived here.' said the Ste-copy. 'Love the curtains.'

Brendan grunted in reply. 'Why am I here?'

'You'll see.'

'Steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.' said an unfamiliar woman's voice. A brunette girl walked across the room and went into the door that used to be Brendan's bedroom. She appeared again moments later, dragging a familiar young man out with her.

'Steven.' whispered Brendan.

Ste rolled his eyes at her. 'Come on, hurry up. I want to go to bed, you know?'

'Got another bloke chained up in there, have you?' asked the girl.

'No Tegan.' said Ste, scowling at her. 'But I've got to open the Deli in the morning.'

'You're such a Grinch.' said Tegan. 'Where's your Christmas cheer?'

'Must have lost it somewhere.' said Ste, glancing back to his bedroom door.

'Were you like this last year?'

Ste's face twisted with pain.

'Oh God.' said Tegan suddenly realising her mistake. 'I've put my foot into it, haven't I? Did you spend last Christmas with Doug? Is the holiday season bringing up some painful memories?'

'No.' said Ste softly. 'I didn't spend it with Doug; I spent it with...with Brendan.'

Tegan looked confused. 'Brendan? Who's Brendan?'

Ste closed his eyes. 'Forget it, yeah?' he walked away from her and back towards his room.

'Ste!' she shouted, but it was no use.

'You can follow him, if you want to.' Said the Ste-copy.

Brendan had almost forgotten he was there. 'Who's that girl?'

'His sister.' answered the Ste-copy. 'While you've been in prison Ste found his Dad.'

Brendan swallowed hard, trying to ignore the feeling of resentment. 'Does he look after Steven?'

'Yes.' smiled the man. 'Bar a little mix up at the beginning where the two nearly slept with each other.'

Brendan clenched his fists. 'What do you mean by nearly slept together?'

The Ste-copy let out a donkey laugh. 'Happens more often in real life than you think. They didn't know who the other was. But they didn't do anything, thank goodness. Imagine how messed up that would have been.'

Brendan scowled, automatically feeling defensive of his Steven. He already didn't trust this 'Dad' of his, what type of man nearly sleeps with his own son?

'Ste ironically lives here now with his sisters.' said the Ste-copy. 'Apparently he feels closer to you here, when he's not pretending that you don't exist of course. Even sleeps in your old bedroom.'

Brendan ignored him, choosing instead to cross the living room and find Steven. His hand flew straight through the door handle, so he stepped through the door. Finding himself for the first time in nine months alone with his beautiful Steven.

'I'm angry at you, you know?' said Ste.

Brendan took a deep breath, wondering if the other man could see him. He could give anything right at this moment to just talk to and touch him.

'I'm angry at myself too.' continued Ste, oblivious to the fact that there was anyone else in the room with him. 'We should be together this year, but instead you're in some prison cell and you won't see me. It's proper not fair'

'I'm sorry.' said Brendan, even though he knew Ste couldn't hear him.

'I just...' Ste's voice caught with emotion. 'I just wish things could be different that's all.' he pressed a necklace to his lips. 'Good night Bren.' he reached over and flicked off the lamp.

'Good night Steven.' replied Brendan, even though he knew the boy couldn't hear him.

He stood there for a moment, watching over Steven almost like a guardian angel. He couldn't bring himself to be away from the other man, not even for a moment. For the last nine months he'd have given anything to be in this position and he couldn't waste the opportunity now. Brendan slid into the bed next to him and was relieved when he didn't fall right through it. He tried to reach out and touch Steven, but as predicted his hands just grasped empty air. He lay there for a while, feeling strangely at peace as he tried to burn Steven's beautiful face to his memory.

'Brendan.' muttered Ste in his sleep.

'I'm here.' said Brendan.

Ste smiled in his sleep and went back to snoring lightly. The sound made Brendan smile, he missed that sound in the morning and the feel of Steven's warm body against his own. He'd never loved anyone as much as he loved Steven and he knew as he watched him sleep that these feelings were never going to change.

**ASCC**

'Of all the people in the world that I could haunt and I end up with you.' said an annoying and familiar American voice.

Brendan opened his eyes and realised he was once again back in his cell. There was someone in the room with him again, but it wasn't someone he particularly wanted to see. 'Am I in hell?'

The man snorted. 'You should be after everything you've done.'

'Why don't you run along Douglas, I'm sure there's a charity shop with a sale on knitwear that you could haunt for eternity somewhere?'

'That's hilarious.' said Doug, not sounding one bit amused.

'Shouldn't you be off chasing Steven, now I'm gone?'

'I died.' stated Doug.

'Oh,' said Brendan, glancing over at the American.

Doug's face was twisted in regret. 'Let's get this over with. There's a lot for you to see and I don't want to spend any time longer than I have to in your company.'

'Feelings mutual Dougie boy.'

Doug scowled at him. 'You have no respect for the dead.'

'I had no respect for you while you were alive, why spoil a habit of a life time.' said Brendan.

Doug let out a sigh and pulled out an all too familiar piece of chalk. 'Are you coming or not?' he angrily drew a rough circle. The circle glowed and revealed what looked to be a graveyard.

'What's in there?' asked Brendan, not liking where this was going.

'Your future.' answered Doug. 'If you don't change things. Come on.'

Brendan stepped through into the graveyard, trying to ignore the chill in the air He followed Doug past a number of gravestones, noticing how the other man didn't even stop to look back at him. Soon Doug disappeared into the night, so Brendan gave up following him and stopped to lean against a nearby grave stone instead. He jumped back suddenly when he saw the name, as if he'd been electrocuted.

'It's Cheryl's.' said Doug's voice from behind him.

Brendan fell to his knees, reaching out to touch the aging stone. She had apparently only been forty-five. 'How?' he demanded. 'How!'

'Suicide.' answered Doug.

Brendan let out a bitter laugh. 'Chez would never do that, you're lying.'

'She couldn't cope with the guilt, she wanted to take responsibility for what she did and you would never let her. In the end she got drunk and ended it in a hotel room, alone.'

Brendan angrily wiped away a number of stray tears, only realising now that he was crying. He hadn't cried since his separation with Steven. He thought nothing could ever hurt him more than that had, he was wrong.

'Do you want to see Ste's next?' asked Doug quietly.

Brendan closed his eyes and dug his hands into the mud. 'Steven...Steven can't be dead.'

'He was murdered.' said Doug quietly. 'I'll show you.'

'Murdered?' whispered Brendan, feeling numb at the word. The world seemed to be spinning around him and the air once again shifted. The graveyard morphed into an unfamiliar living room.

'Where is he?' screamed a man, turning a table upside down. His face was ugly, twisted with rage and jealousy.

Brendan noticed Steven was sat quietly on a sofa, as if he was trying to shrink into it. His face was blank and faraway.

'Where is he?' the man screamed again.

'I've told you again and again.' said Ste quietly, his eyes staring at the floor. 'There isn't anyone else. The other glass belonged to Sinead.'

'I don't believe you.' hissed the man. 'I've seen the cross necklace and the shirts. I know there's someone else. Tell me who he is.' he began to throw objects from a nearby shelf at the wall. Ste only reacted when he went to pick a childishly made pot.

'Don't touch that!' shouted Ste. 'Our Leah made that.' he launched himself forward out of the chair, desperately trying to grapple the pot out of the man's hand. 'Please put it down.'

'No.' said the man, his face becoming even most twisted.

One minute Ste was fighting the man, the next he was falling to the floor. The man was on him like a wide animal, punching Ste again, again and again. Brendan let out a roar; his mind became red with rage. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't touch either of them. He screamed and screamed and nobody heard him.

When it was over the animal of the man kneeled on the carpet breathing heavily, his fists covered in blood. 'If I can't have you, no-one can.' he spat, before walking into the kitchen. The sound of a bottle of beer being opened followed.

Brendan knelt by Ste, tears freely flowing from his eyes. 'I'm so sorry Steven.' he whispered. He reached out to touch his face and for once felt something other than thin air.

Ste's blue eyes fluttered open. 'Bren...dan?'

'I'm here.' said Brendan gently.

A pained smile spread across Ste's lips. 'I love you...In the next...life.' he whispered; before his eyes slid closed, never to open again.

Brendan let out an animalistic roar of pain, his heart was breaking. He'd never felt anything like this before, it was if his body was being torn into pieces. Just when he felt like he couldn't take any more, the world once again turned to black.

**ASCC**

The sound of the prison door sliding open caused Brendan to jump up from his slumber. It was morning and everything he'd witnessed was a dream, right? He desperately reached for his bible, frantically turning it to the page that held his secret picture of Steven.

'Are you getting up Brady?' asked one of the guards.

Brendan ran his fingers gently over the photograph. 'I need to make a phone call.' he replied.

**ASCC**

Ste smiled as he watched his sisters' place presents underneath the Christmas tree. He automatically reached into his pocket, secretly fingering Brendan's necklace. Just feeling it between his fingers made him feel oddly calm. A knock on the door signified yet another group of carol singers.

'You coming?' Danny asked him, following his daughters to the door.

'In a minute.' answered Ste, smiling to himself. He was determined to be happy, even if a part of him was breaking. Last year he had Brendan, but this year he had his family...that had to mean something, right? Why did he feel so lonely?

'Silent night, holy night, all is calm...all is bright.'

Ste sighed and pushed himself out of his chair, joining his family at the door. He forced himself to smile. Something behind the carollers caught his eye. It was the figure of a man, staring at him. His blue eyes were blazing almost as brightly as the Hollyoak's Christmas lights.

'Sleep in heavenly peace, sleeping in heavenly peace.'

Ste pushed past his family and then through the carollers. Ignoring the disgruntled noises and questions. He didn't stop until he was level with the man, with Brendan.

'You're really here?' whispered Ste, his eyes filling with tears. 'I'm not dreaming?'

'I'll always come back for you Steven.' said Brendan softly.

As they looked at each other, no words were needed. They moved together and melted into each others arms, clinging on to one another. Finally their lips met and everything bad that had happened seemed to melt away. As they stood kissing to the sound of carollers, the two men didn't even notice it was snowing. It truly was a Christmas miracle. Brendan was home.


End file.
